Recovering Hearts
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: Kaiba walked to the podium with his head held high. He was about to announce his latest invention and a whole new tournament. Cameras flashed as he tried to gather his thoughts. But things didn't go as planned. The room started to sway before things went black...
1. Chapter 1

Kaiba walked to the podium with his head held high. He was about to announce his latest invention and a whole new tournament. A lot of hard work had gone into this holographic imaging projector. It was compact and barely larger than a cellphone. Cameras flashed as he tried to gather his thoughts. But things didn't go as planned. Suddenly things in the room seemed to sway. He tried to speak but it came out unintelligible, "Wabafa ushi oh…" Flashes of the cameras seem to brighten before things went completely dark.

"Seto!" Mokuba screamed as he ran up onto the stage, "Call an ambulance," he yelled to his older brother's secretary. Security did their best to keep the crowd under control.

A voice called from the crowd, "MOVE OUT THE WAY, I'M A DOCTOR!"

Mokuba looked up at the owner of that voice and was shocked to see Téa Gardener. She placed two fingers on his neck, there wasn't a pulse so she started to perform CPR. It wasn't long before the EMT arrived. As they loaded Kaiba into the Ambulance, she called out to Mokuba, "Mokuba, come with me. The EMT's need as much space in the ambulance as possible. I will get you to the hospital."

He climbed into the car and mumbled a thank you. "What's wrong with him?" Mokuba asked in tears as he sat in the car.  
Téa swallowed hard as she kept her eyes on the road, "I won't know for certain until they run some test Mokuba. But from the looks of it he had a heart attack or a stroke. Has he said or did anything out of the ordinary lately?"

Mokuba thought hard and answered, "He did mention his left side of his body felt weak this morning. He warned me to avoid him in case he had the flu. He also seemed to be a little clumsy and confused this morning. After we ate breakfast, he asked me where his bedroom was. I knew there was something wrong with him, but I also knew he wouldn't listen if I tried to stop him from going to work. This is all my fault." Tears started to roll down his eyes.

Téa tightened her grip on the steering wheel, she knew how much Kaiba meant to Mokuba, "Mokuba, your brother is old enough to make his own decisions. Even if you would have tried to convince him, he never would have listened. This isn't your fault Mokie."

…..

The Surgeon came out after the surgery and confirmed that Kaiba had a stroke. Téa asked Mokuba to see Kaiba's medical records. Mokuba typed in a passcode on his laptop and pulled up Kaiba's records for Téa to look over. His diet (despite being skinny as a rail) was terrible, he never exercised, had high blood pressure, worked long hours, and had night terrors that disrupted his sleep. It was unbelievable that he could have this kind of trouble at 27.

"Mokuba, when your brother wakes up from this surgery, he has to start living better. This medical record is practically a recipe for a stroke. He is very likely to have speech and mobility problems. He is likely going to need speech therapy, physical therapy, and around the clock care. I know he will never admit to it, but he will probably need emotional support as well," Téa explained.

Mokuba nodded and asked, "Will you do it?"

Téa was taken back by his question and answered, "No offense Mokuba, but I don't think your brother will want me to help him with anything to do with emotions. He never really liked me to begin with."

"No no no, I mean help him around the clock. You just came home after you graduated at DCU (Domino City University) am I right?" Mokuba asked

Téa tried to answer, but she was interrupted, "Well yes but…"

"But, nothing. I am offering you a job here Téa. I trust you and although Kaiba probably won't like it, I know he trusts you too. Besides, you know that we will pay way better than any hospital will." Mokuba interrupted.

Téa thought about it. He was right, she needed a job. She looked down at her engagement ring from Yugi and thought, 'This could be a good start from us.' She then smiled and replied, "There is no denying that you two are brothers. You could sell a steak to a vegan. Okay, Mokuba I will do it, but your brother is not going to be happy about it."

"I know he doesn't want help, but he needs it," Mokuba then asked, "Would you stay with me here tonight Téa. I'm scared."

Téa nodded and replied, "What are friends for? Let me just call Yugi and let him know where I am."

…

The next day, Yugi showed up at the hospital with a dozen doughnuts. Téa stood up and gave him a kiss, "Thanks Sweetie." She took a bite and continued, "Mokuba just offered me a job caring for Kaiba. Are you okay with it?"

Yugi nodded and replied, "Sure, how is he doing?"

Mokuba answered, "We don't know yet."

Yugi clicked his tongue and said, "Well babe, I am not going to be home until really late tonight. I'm going out with the guys tonight. Don't wait up for me."

Téa frowned, 'he sure has been going out a lot lately,' she thought to herself. "Okay Yugi," I will have dinner in the fridge. You can just heat it up when you get home." She gave him a kiss and said, "I love you."

Yugi straightened his coat and replied, "I will see you soon. Take care."

Mokuba watched the whole interaction and thought it looked strange. He looked over to Téa who looked both hurt and confused. After Yugi left Mokuba asked, "Téa, is there something going on with you and Yugi. I have never seen him act so distant towards you."

Téa shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I noticed it too, I think he is just stressed out about planning the wedding. Cold feet maybe?"

Mokuba nodded. At that moment, the nurse walked up and said to Mokuba and Téa, "Mr. Kaiba is awake. We are evaluating him right now but you can come in."

Téa and Mokuba walked in, "Mr. Kaiba, do you know where you are?" they heard the doctor say.

Kaiba's eyes wondered around the room but he couldn't move and couldn't speak. The only sound that came out when he tried, was a wheezing sound. That was when he noticed Téa, 'What is Yugi's cheerleader doing here?' he wondered.

"Can you understand what I am asking you Mr. Kaiba?" the doctor asked.

When Kaiba didn't move or speak the doctor pursed his lips together and said, "Well, we know he can't move or speak yet. But I can't tell if he is comprehending what I am saying."

Téa looked him over and had an idea, she sat on the side of his bed and asked, "Kaiba, do you understand and what the doctor is saying? Blink twice for yes, and once for no."

Kaiba blinked twice for yes. She turned to the doctor and the doctor looked annoyed, "Excuse me Miss, but I am the doctor here. Chances are that was totally by chance. Try again."

If Kaiba could frown, he would have at that point. For once Gardener has a good idea and the doctor is questioning it?!

Téa rolled her eyes and asked, "Kaiba, is your brother's name Mokuba? Blink twice for yes and once for no." Kaiba blinked twice and she continued, "Okay Kaiba, now the last thing I am going to ask you to do is count. Can you blink 5 times for me?" He did and she turned back to the doctor. "He understands what you are saying. Now what do you need to tell him?"

"Mr. Kaiba, you are going to need many months of recovery and around the clock care. You are going to need to hire a physical therapist, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and a nurse when you return home. Do you understand?" The doctor asked. Just like before Kaiba blinked twice. The doctor then turned to Mokuba and said, "I am going to give you time alone with him."

Mokuba walked up to his brother and said, "Seto, I am so relieved your alive. You had me so scared big bro. You need to start taking care of yourself."

Téa looked into Kaiba's eye and sensed he felt guilty about worrying his brother. She let out a breath and ran her hand through his hair soothingly, "Don't worry Kaiba, I am going to take care of you and your brother while you're sick. But he is right, you need to take a break and start taking care of yourself."

Kaiba stared Téa down and thought, 'What do you mean you are going to take care of us both? Please tell me Mokuba didn't hire you. She is going to annoy me to high heavens… Does she have to be touching me right now?"

Téa started to laugh. She knew what was bothering him, "Alright, you grump…I am going to stop touching you."

Kaiba's attention turned to Mokuba as he started to speak, "Téa just finished medical school a few months ago. I've decided to hire her to take care of you while I deal with the company in the morning. She has had years of on hands experience and I trust her," he paused for a moment to see if his older brother reacted and continued, "I am going to also have some therapist to come in and see you. Téa will practice the exercises with you a few times a day, but I want you to do it with a therapist at least once a day."

Téa looked at Kaiba and his eyelids appeared to be growing heavy. She stood up from the bed and said, "Mokuba, your brother is looking tired. Why don't you stay with him, while I go pick up some medical supplies that he is going to require at home."

Mokuba nodded and asked, "What store are you going to and what do you need? I can give them a call ahead of time and they can gather the supplies for you. I can also transfer the money to them before you get there."

Téa wrote out a list of items and handed it to Mokuba. "Hugo's Medical Supply Center," Téa answered, "I also have some things at home I need to grab. Do you want me to wear a smock when I am caring for him, or is it okay to wear regular clothes."

Mokuba answered, "Your practically family Téa, just wear what makes you comfortable."

She nodded and said, "I'll be back soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Téa came to check in at the hospital every day until the day he was finally discharged a week later. On discharge day Téa picked up the wheel chair from Mokuba's house and drove to the hospital. As she took it on the elevator she silently wondered if Kaiba would get rid of her as soon as he gained some mobility back.

The elevator dinged and she knew she arrived at her floor. She walked into his room and the doctor was there waiting. "Since you are the one caring for him, I need to know if you can lift him by yourself. If not, Mr. Mokuba you're going to have to hire someone else."

Téa's eyes lit up with fury, 'Who the hell does this guy think he is?' With determination Téa walked up to Kaiba and gently put his hands on her shoulders. She knew he couldn't hold on, but it made her feel safer regardless. She went to hoist him up, but he was clearly too heavy. 'How can he be so heavy? He is nothing but skin and bones?' she thought to herself.

Téa gently pushed him back down on the bed and turned to Mokuba. Mokuba smiled and said, "Don't worry Téa you won't be by yourself in the mansion. I can even hire you a nurse."

"That will be fine Mokuba," Téa said as she tried again, this time with Mokuba's assistance.

"There we go Kaiba," she said as they set him in the wheel chair, "Let's go Mokuba."

"Okay, but give me a moment with the doctor please," Mokuba replied.

Téa put Kaiba's feet in the foot plates and said, "I am going to head towards the car. I need to move some stuff out the front seat. She then left the room with Kaiba.

Mokuba turned to the doctor, "What do you have against Téa?"

The doctor looked up from his paper, "Women aren't supposed to be doctors. Women aren't supposed to be workers. They should be at home bearing children and managing the family. Even if she has the education, she does not have the strength. She is not qualified to be anything more than a wife and mother."

Mokuba frowned, "Although I don't agree with your thought process, I do believe Téa will need help. Are there any nurses you would recommend?"

The doctor wrote down the name of a male nurse and said, "Have a nice day Mr. Kaiba."

Mokuba ignored his goodbye and walked to the elevator.

…

When they walked into the door, "Téa asked okay, where are we going?"

"Up Stai..., dang it! I forgot big brother's room is upstairs. Okay, we are going to put him in a guest room downstairs." Mokuba walked to a room and said, "This one will do. It has its own bathroom."

Téa rolled Kaiba into the room and was shocked, "Mokuba this room is almost as big as my whole apartment."

Mokuba laughed and said, "Yeah, but when Seto built this house, he wanted to make it wheelchair accessible, figuring it might come in handy one day. As it turns out, he was right…Too bad he didn't think about installing an elevator too."

Mokuba helped Téa get his older brother in the bed. He then said, "Seto's room is the first room to your right after you climb the stairs. Can you grab some of his clothes while I make a few phone calls?"

Kaiba looked at Téa as if daring her to touch his things. She ignored Kaiba's death stares and said, "Sure Mokuba."

…

As Téa walked into his room she was in awe. She could tell it was done by designers. Satin sheets, velvet curtains, everything looked expensive! She walked to his dresser and found a duffle bag sitting on top. She grabbed the bag and started to go through his drawers. She was surprised to find very little clothes. 'Most of his clothes must be in the closet she thought to herself. She did however find several pairs of silk pajamas, cotton T-shirts, Shorts, and boxer shorts. She grabbed the most comfortable looking items and was about to leave when curiosity got to the best of her and she went to peak in his closet. As expected, the closet was huge and had numerous suits and trench coats.

She walked downstairs with the duffle bag and Mokuba said, "Téa come here for a second." She walked into the kitchen and Mokuba said, "Téa this is Noah, he will be your nurse."

"Hello Téa, it is a pleasure to meet you," the man held his hand out. Téa looked him over and he was very handsome. He was tall, with blue eyes, and aqua colored hair. He looked a year or two younger than she was. It was impossible to notice his muscular build, even under the light blue scrubs he was wearing. The glimmer of her engagement ring caught her eye as she reached out to shake his hand, "likewise."

Noah noticed the ring on her hand and flirted, "Aw man, your taken? If you ever decide to dump the louse, why don't you give me a ring."

Téa ignored his question and said, "Noah, I would like to keep this strictly business. Please refrain yourself from any further comments like that." Noah agreed and she turned to Mokuba, "When do I get to meet the therapists?"

"Tomorrow," Mokuba answered. "For today, just try to make Seto as comfortable as possible. I have a press conference at 12:00 to discuss my brother's health. So, I will see you guys later."

Téa walked to the room and looked around. Noah asked, "What can I do for you princess?"

Téa glared at him and said, "There isn't a TV in here. I think Kaiba would be more comfortable if he had something to occupy his mind with while he was recovering." He nodded and left.

Kaiba watched her as he left, she let out a sigh of relief and mumble, "Geez he is more obnoxious than Joey." She sat Kaiba up slightly and placed another pillow under his head. "Is that better?" she asked. It took him for a second before he realized what she was waiting for, He blinked twice and she smiled. "Good." Her cellphone rang, so she walked across the room to answer it.

Kaiba watched her answer the phone, and listened as she stepped out the room.

"Hey Yugi, what's up? ... No thank you Yugi, I am going to fix lunch for Kaiba and I here. He can't have solid foods just yet…You're going out tonight with the guys again? This is the third time this week and it's only Thursday. Yugi, I was hoping we could go out to eat tonight or catch a movie… I understand you offered me lunch but… Just do what you want Yugi, I don't have time for this." She hung up the phone and walked back in the room to put away his clothes in this dresser. She left out one set of clothes for later.

As she was finishing up, Noah walked in with a flat screen TV. "Alright gorgeous, where do you want it?"

"Right on top the dresser Noah. After you put that together, I want you to give Kaiba a proper bath. He has been stuck in that hospital for days without anything better than a sponge bath," Téa instructed as she pulled out her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. She wrote down some numbers and said, "I am going fix Kaiba and I some soup for lunch. Would you like some?"

"I bet you are an amazing chef. I would love some." Noah said. Téa then walked to the kitchen on the other end of the mansion.

Noah walked over to the bed and rolled Kaiba into the bathroom. He crouched down before Kaiba and asked, "Do you recognize me Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked at Noah. He did look familiar, but he couldn't place where he saw him…maybe from one of the dueling tournaments?

"I'll give you a hint," he said, "You killed my father." Kaiba's eyes got wide and the boy continued, "That's right, I am Gozaburo Kaiba's biological son…and I am out for revenge." Noah punched Kaiba in the stomach. Kaiba's body slouched over and a breathy groan escaped his lips. Noah then said, "Don't worry Kaiba, I am going to take care of you just like you did my father. He grabbed Kaiba's arm and rammed Kaiba's head into a cabinet.

…

Téa heard a loud bump and decided to go see if Noah needed help. She knocked on the door, "Noah, is everything alright? I can help you if you are having trouble."

Noah snapped out of his trance and said, "No princess, Mr. Kaiba just knocked over a bottle of shampoo as he was getting in. That's all. There was no damage done."

"Okay," Téa replied, "Lunch should be ready in ten minutes."

Noah replied, "We'll be out by then." Noah then put Kaiba into the tub and started to bathe him.

…

When Noah rolled Kaiba into the kitchen, she noticed Kaiba looked tired. "Are you feeling alright Kaiba?" she asked. She pulled out a small light on her key ring and shined it into his eyes. He immediately shut them because the light hurt them. She clicked the light off and asked, "Do you feel dizzy? Does your head hurt?" He blinked twice for both questions.

She turned to Michael and asked, "Did Kaiba hit his head when he slipped?"

Michael shook his head, no. She then mumbled, "That asshole of a doctor he had before must not have noticed."

Kaiba tried to tell her no, that wasn't it but she didn't catch on. She pushed his bangs out his face and asked "Does your head hurt Kaiba?" he blinked twice and she walked over to her purse to dig out Tylenol. She filled a glass of water and knelt before him. She placed the pill in his mouth and pressed the cup to his mouth to help him swallow the pill. She then grabbed his bowl of soup and said, "Okay, I am going to feed you, but you are going to hold your spoon. I want you to start regaining muscle strength."

…

Mokuba arrived home at 7:00 sharp, "Hey Téa, did my brother give you any trouble?"

"No, he is doing well… all things considering. But, I noticed Kaiba had a concussion," Téa said.

"But, he didn't have that before…Did something happen?" Mokuba asked.

"I asked Noah and he told me that Kaiba slipped in the tub, but he didn't hit his head. So, I don't know. Maybe, it was just glazed over by the doctor since he was worried about the stroke." Téa explained.

"Maybe," Mokuba said skeptically, "Still Téa, could you keep an eye on him? Something about this seems fishy."

"Of course. I will see you tomorrow Mokuba," she said as she made her way down the road.

…

Mokuba entered his brother's room. "Hey big brother, did you have a good day?" Mokuba asked. He looked at his older brother and a wave of sadness washed over him. His older brother has always been strong and independent. Seeing him lying in the bed, unable to do anything was painful. A tear rolled down Mokuba's cheek. He hugged his brother and said, "Don't worry Seto, Téa will have you fixed up soon. Just you wait."


	3. Chapter 3

Téa went home to an empty house. She started to cook dinner for two, despite the fact that she already knew she would be eating alone. After she ate, she put Yugi's plate in the fridge and washed the dishes. While drying the plates, she thought to herself, 'Why is Yugi and the guys going out so much? This house is so quiet without him home. I would almost say I enjoy Kaiba's company more than I enjoy being home alone…almost.' She leaned back from the sink and thought, 'Truth be told, I am starting to enjoy Kaiba's company. He seems to be an okay guy when he's not barking insults.'

Suddenly she felt two arms wrap around her waist. She smiled and greeted, "Hey Yugi."

Yugi spun her around and kissed her, "I missed you, so I decided to skip my outing with the guys," he explained, "How about we go out to eat, like you wanted?"

"Oh Yugi, I wasn't expecting you to be home so I already ate," Téa replied. She saw Yugi frown and her heart skipped a beat, "We could still go out to see a movie, if you want?"

Yugi let her go and said, "Never mind." He grabbed his jacket off the hook and started towards the front door.

"No Yugi, please. Let's go out for desert or something." Tea suggested. He ignored her and she asked, "Where are you going?"

"Out," Yugi replied simply before he slammed the door.

"What's wrong with him?" Téa asked to no one in particular.

…

The next morning Téa didn't bother fix Yugi breakfast. If he wanted to be an ass, he could make his own waffles.

She arrived at the Kaiba mansion early and knocked on the door. John, the butler opened the door for her. "Good Morning, Dr. Gardener. How are you doing?"

"Good Morning John, I am well. Is Kaiba awake yet?" she asked.

"Yes, but I warn you, he has a short temper today," the butler stated. Téa rolled her eyes and thought, 'when didn't he have a short temper.' The butler continued, "Master Mokuba was up most the night with him. Anytime he fell asleep, he seemed to have night terrors."

"Okay John, thanks for the warning," she replied.

She walked to Kaiba's room and saw Noah was already there. She greeted, "Good morning Kaiba. Good Morning Noah."

When Noah heard her voice he smiled, "Good morning Téa. You are looking particularly magnificent today. Did you get all prettied up for me?"

Téa grabbed her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. She figured if she ignored his comments, they would eventually stop. She went to roll up his sleeve and Noah said, "Oh, let me get that."

Téa turned around irritably and said, "No, I've got it." She started to roll up the sleeve when she noticed a bruise in the shaped of a hand print. Her eyes got big and she yelled, "Mokuba!"

Kaiba breathed out as Téa called for Mokuba, after all the years that he was hurt under Gozaburo's care as a child, no one wanted to help him. Now that he was being attacked by Gozaburo's son as an adult, someone finally was trying to help. Maybe he didn't give Gardener enough credit.

Mokuba came down the stairs and gasped when he entered the room. "Who did this?" Mokuba asked as he saw the handprint.

"I don't know Mokuba? I discovered it as I was getting ready to check his blood pressure," she explained. She then said, "Help me sit him up, I want to see if there is any more damage." She pulled his shirt off and bit her lip when she saw the bruise on his stomach. "There is definitely something going on here Mokuba."

"Maybe the butler did it," Noah said, "or one of the maids."

Mokuba wiped a few tears out his eyes and stood up straight. "I don't know, but I am getting video cameras installed in his room. Téa, do you have your phone on you?"

"Yes, you need it?" Téa asked.

"I want to take some photos and send it to my phone for evidence," Mokuba explained.

Téa nodded and threw him the phone. She then asked, "Mokuba could you stay with Seto while I go grab some herbs from my garden? I want to grind them into a paste and use it as an ointment to put on these?"

Noah volunteered, "I will stay with him Téa. No one will dare put their hands on Mr. Kaiba if I am in the room."

Téa got in his face and replied, "Noah, I don't know who did this to Kaiba. But there is one thing I do know, I trust you about as far as I can throw you. Now why don't you make yourself useful and go cook breakfast or something."

Noah frowned and said, "Fine."

…

When Téa walked through the front door, she saw Yugi's coat hanging on the rack. The plants were right outside the front door. So, she dug in his pocket to find his pocket knife. In the first pocket she didn't find the knife, but she did find a scrap of paper. She looked at the paper and saw that it was a receipt. The receipt had the name Rebecca written on the bottom.

Her knees went weak and she had to hold on to the wall for support. 'Is this why Yugi has been so distant lately… Has he been chea… No, that's impossible. I am sure there is some sort of logical explanation. She folded the paper back up and placed it back in his pocket and told herself, "It's probably just a number he needed for work. Yeah, that's all it is."

She grabbed his pocket knife from his other pocket and walked over to the plants. She cut a few different herbs and placed them into a granite mortar (bowl). Once she had what she needed, she grabbed her pestle and hurried back to the mansion.

…

Téa walked in Kaiba's room and said, "I have the stuff Mokuba."

She started to grind the ingredients together and added a small amount of water to the bowl. Mokuba watched as she sat down on the bed and started to rub the ointment onto his brother's chest.

Kaiba closed his eyes as he felt her hand run across his chest. Her hands were so tiny and soft. The feeling of human contact felt incredible. The ointment had mint in it, so it was cold and seemed to tingle.

Mokuba looked at his brother and saw him close his eyes to her touch. "I think it's hurting, Téa."

Téa shook her head and replied, "No Mokuba, it's cooling the area," to confirm it she asked, "Kaiba, does this hurt?"

To her surprise, he didn't blink he slowly moved his head from one side to another. His head then dropped back down on the pillow. That small movement seemed to tire him out. Mokuba and Téa both looked stunned.

"Seto, you moved!" Mokuba said excitedly.

Téa placed her hand on his and said, "This is a good sign Kaiba, just keep trying and we'll have you better in no time." She gave his hand a squeeze.

…

Later that day, Téa focused mainly on mobility exercises. His physical therapist gave her a list of ones that would help. As she was doing it she talked about how beautiful the new park was, "There is a walking path around some trees and a large pond. To the right of the path there is a large jungle gym for the kids to play in. And, to the right is a place to buy ice cream. We should go there one day," she suggested.

Kaiba thought about what she said, and he did want to see how the new park was developing. After all, Kaiba Corp. donated a substantial amount to the construction. He looked into her eyes as she talked about the park and despite how excited she seemed about the new park, he sensed something was bothering her.

Mokuba walked in at that moment and asked, "How is he doing?"

Téa smiled, "He is doing pretty good. We did his exercises and He seemed to have an easier time eating the soup today. He is recovering faster than I anticipated."

"That's great! I came home early today to work with the security on the placement of new video cameras around the house. You and Noah can take the rest of the day off if you want," Mokuba said.

"Someone is going to be with him while this is going on?" Téa asked. She didn't want to leave until she was certain he wasn't going to be hurt.

"Don't worry Téa, I am going to stay with my brother while Roland makes sure the cameras are being set up properly," Mokuba said to calm her nerves. She nodded and said her goodbyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Téa saw Yugi's bike and smiled. 'He's home early today,' she thought excitedly.

She walked in and announced, "Yugi, I'm home," when she didn't hear a response she noticed her bedroom door was shut. Curiously, she walked down the hall and turned the knob to reveal Yugi drooling on a pillow. She tried not to laugh, but he was half on the bed and half off. She flicked the lights back off and decided to go pick up some Chinese takeout.

...

When she got back, his bike was gone. Her face turned red with anger as she walked in the house. He left her by herself again. It has been like this for two months now. What gives? She placed dinner on the table and started to cry. Ever since they became engaged, it seems like he's been avoiding her. What's going on? She was determined to find out. She ate dinner, turned out the lights, turned on the TV, and waited for him to come home.

At 4:34 in the morning Yugi walked in the door and turned on the light. "Where were you?" Téa asked.

"Out, why do you care?" Yugi replied.

"Yugi, we are engaged. We should be together planning our wedding, but your never home. Do you even want to be married anymore?" she asked.

Yugi stopped and turned to her, "I don't know."

Téa was hurt by his response, "You don't know?! Yugi, we have been together since high school. How can you not know?"

Yugi replied, "I just don't okay…I care about you, but I don't know if I love you anymore. I have been regretting it since the day I popped the question. I don't think I am ready for marriage yet."

Téa walked past him to the front door. It was storming outside.

"Where are you going?" Yugi asked.

"Out," she spat back at him as she turned the door knob. As she stepped out the door threw him her engagement ring and said, "I will be back for my things as soon as I get an apartment."

Téa walked down the road in the bitter cold rain and wondered what her next move was going to be. She walked to a 24 hour waffle house and stayed there until it was time for her to go into work.

…

It was still raining when Téa arrived at the Kaiba mansion. When the butler opened the door, he saw Téa dripping wet and asked her to wait while he got some towels.

Kaiba's door was open and he saw Téa come through the front door.

As Téa dried herself off, Mokuba came down the stairs and saw her. "Good God Téa, you look like you just came off the titanic! Hold on, let me get you some of Seto's clothes." Téa followed Mokuba to Seto's room knowing that it had a bathroom she could change in. Mokuba turned around to hand her the clothes, and that was when he noticed she was still wearing the same outfit from yesterday, "Téa, did you go home last night?"

To that question, Téa lost her composure. She broke down crying and said, "The engagement is off."

Mokuba's eyes got big and said, "What? That's not possible. Yugi is crazy about you."

Téa shook her head and said, "He's not. He said he's regretted it since the day he proposed. The worst part is I don't know what I did wrong."

Kaiba heard the conversation and was genuinely surprised, 'If there was anyone he would of thought had a chance at having a happy marriage, he assumed it would be Yugi and Téa. Why would he discard her now? It just didn't make sense… Well, his loss. Téa may be annoying at times, but she was a loyal and caring individual…Not to mention beautiful. Any man would be happy to have her... Wait, did I just think that? It must be the medication.' he thought to himself.

Mokuba hugged Téa, "Don't worry Téa, he will come around. He is probably just getting cold feet. And if he doesn't, my brother is single," he said half-jokingly.

Téa giggled a little at that comment and replied, "Thanks Mokuba, but I think Kaiba would rather date a lion than date me."

Mokuba started to laugh and said, "Well, he does have less of a chance of getting chewed out by the lion."

Téa joined in the laughter, "Thanks Mokuba, I needed that," she said before she entered the bathroom. When she came back out he took her clothes and asked, "So, what are you going to do now that the engagement is off?"

Téa shrugged her shoulders, "I guess stay at a hotel for a few days until I find a decent apartment. After that, I don't know."

"You could stay here while you hunt for an apartment Téa. It's not like we don't have enough rooms. Besides, having you around is better for Seto," Mokuba offered. Téa hesitated and Mokuba continued, "Really Téa, I insist you stay."

"Okay…" Téa said uncertain. Téa sat next to Kaiba and said, "Okay, are you ready to start your therapy?"

While Téa started therapy with Kaiba, Mokuba walked out the room and was about to leave when he saw Noah walk in the front door. He stopped Noah and said, "Téa has some stuff going on right now, try not to bother her too much today."

Noah nodded and wondered what was going on. After Mokuba left he peaked in the room.

"Okay Kaiba, try to squeeze my hand," she instructed. She was trying to work the muscles in his hand. Noah walked in the room angered, 'How dare he touch her?' he thought to himself. He gave Kaiba a death glare before asking, "Good Morning Téa. What are you doing wearing Kaiba's clothes?"

She looked down, temporarily forgetting what she was wearing and replied, "Oh, I got caught in the rain. My clothes are in the dryer right now."

"Hmmm….," he said before giving her a business card, "Give me a call next time you need a ride. Even if it's not for work. I will give you a ride so fun you'll be begging for more, just give me a ring."

"If I could find your neck Noah, I would ring it. Now please, go make yourself useful while I work Kaiba's muscles," Téa replied irritably.

"You can work my muscles any day," Noah said back before Téa screamed for him to get out.

Téa looked down at Kaiba and mumbled, "He's more annoying than Duke Devilin."

She then felt Kaiba's fingers start to close. She smiled, "You're doing great Kaiba. Pretty soon you will be able to use your hands again. Now let's work on your arms and legs."

…

Mokuba peeked in on the two during lunch time. Since Yugi was no longer interested in Téa, he hoped to help build a relationship between her and his older brother. She would be good for his brother. Maybe if he got a girlfriend, he would take more time away from work and start taking care of himself. That was part of the reason he offered her a place to stay. He wanted to keep her around to bond with Seto, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she stayed.

…

Early the next morning, Mokuba found Téa sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper. "Good Morning Téa, what are you reading?" Mokuba asked.

"The classifieds, I want to see where apartments might be available," she answered as she took a sip from her cup.

"I can set you up with my real-estate agent if you would like," Mokuba offered.

"That's a great idea Mokuba! Thank you," she replied gratefully.

Mokuba smirked and replied, "No problem. We can pick up your clothes tonight and I can schedule you an appointment with her on Sunday."

Mokuba then walked away, he didn't want her to know he was up to no good.

…

"Good Morning Kaiba," she said as she walked in Kaiba's room. "Are you ready for breakfast," she asked as she sat on the bed. She handed Kaiba the fork and asked, "let's see if you can grasp it yet."

He tried and eventually was able to close his hand around the object. He looked up at Téa and did something rare…he smiled. Téa squealed with joy when she saw his small sign of progress. "Very good Kaiba, now we can start working more on your arms. Let's see how your speech is coming along. Tell me, what you have in your plate?" She said as she placed the plate in his lap.

Kaiba managed half the word orange, "oran..ugh"

"There is progress there as well. I am very proud of you Kaiba…" She paused for a moment before asking, "One more question, who hit you Seto?"

Kaiba struggled, "No..ogn"

"No one?" she sighed and said, "I figured you wouldn't tell me. Alright Kaiba, lets worry about getting you fed. She picked up the cup of orange juice and patiently started to feed him."

…

Mokuba gave a call to his real-estate agent Cindy to meet him at the office.

"Hey there Mokuba, are you looking to buy a new game store?" She asked as she walked into the office.

Mokuba shook his head and replied, "Not exactly, I called you here because I need you to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" She asked curiously.

"I have a friend and she is looking for an apartment. I told her that I would let her stay at my home until she finds a suitable one…" He explained

She interrupted, "And you want me to find her one, that is no trouble at all. What's her price range?"

"No, Cindy actually I was hoping you would show her the worst possible apartments, so she would stick around for a while." Mokuba replied.

"What?" she asked looking confused.

"As you know, my big brother has been recovering from a stroke. My friend Téa is a doctor and she has been taking care of him. I am hoping that if the two get to know one another, they might start dating. You will be paid for the time you spend showing Téa the crappy apartments." Mokuba explained.

Cindy giggled, "Oh my this is going to be so much fun! I would love to do that!"

"Good," Mokuba replied with a Cheshire grin.

…

When Mokuba came home, he walked to the guestroom and noticed Téa was sitting on Seto's bed, "It's okay, Kaiba. You made some great progress today," she brushed his bangs out of his face and smiled, "We will try again tomorrow."

Mokuba smiled at her compassion, he walked up and asked, "How is he doing?"

"Well, he was able to grasp his fork by himself today, but he still needs help with trying to move his arm to his mouth. He is starting to learn how to talk again, but like everything else, it is going to take some time." She answered, "I haven't seen any more bruises, thankfully."

Mokuba smiled, "Thank goodness, whoever did this to Seto is going to have hell to pay. Did Noah give you any trouble today? I can always get someone else for you to work with."

Téa shook her head no and said, "He seemed to keep to himself today." She yawned and continued, "I am going to help Kaiba brush his teeth and call it a night."

"Sounds good Téa," Mokuba concluded. Mokuba turned to his brother and said, "Seto, I will be back after I change into my PJs."

…

Mokuba sat next to his older brother and talked to him about what was going on in the company. He knew that Seto wanted to know about how he was handling things. He also talked to him about new product ideas. When he finally got the courage, he asked his brother, "How do you like Téa as your doctor, has she been taking care of everything you want or need." Seto nodded and Mokuba continued, "She sure has gotten prettier over the years. I don't understand why Yugi would dump her now, maybe you should consider asking her out when you recover."

Seto rolled his eyes and Mokuba chuckled, "I figured you would react that way. Anyway, I have work tomorrow, so rest well big brother."


	5. Chapter 5

Téa walked in with a tray of food, "Good Morning Kaiba," she greeted. She placed the tray in front of him and said, "I can't wait to see how you have progressed so far."

Kaiba looked at her in a humored fashion, it was way too early for her to be this perky.

Noah walked in and frowned when he saw her holding his hand. He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder to catch her attention. Noah suggested, "Téa, I know you haven't fed him yet, but why don't I give him a bath. He is starting to look a little scruffy."

Kaiba shook his head no, he did not want to be left alone with this maniac again. She saw Kaiba shake his head and answered, "I think Kaiba is hungry, you can give him a bath after. Besides, we might spill some food on him. Noah, why don't you help me set the garden tables. I think it would be nice to let Seto spend some time in the garden."

"I have a better idea, how about you get your head out of the hospital, and join me for lunch in Tokyo," Noah asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Sure, just as soon as you get yours out of your ass. Now get to work before I have Mokuba fire your ass," Téa replied angrily as she pushed him off of her.

Noah frowned but did as he was told. Téa silently thanked god she didn't have to deal with his creepy comments. As she helped Kaiba with breakfast, her stomach started to turn. Something felt off, but she didn't know what.

Noah walked in as she was picking up the tray. "Is Mr. Kaiba ready for his bath?" he asked. Téa nodded, "Go ahead Noah. Let me know when you finish so I can bring up his medicine," she said before she went downstairs. Before she left, she felt Kaiba's fingers grasp hers. She smiled and said, "I will be back in a few minutes Kaiba."

…

Noah pushed Kaiba into the bathroom and shut the door. Noah's eyes seemed to twitch as he asked, "How dare you touch her?" He grabbed him by the back of the hair, "She is my woman. You will not touch her again or I will dispose of you, the same way you killed my father."

Noah then smiled and said, "Actually, I think I might still do that. After all, it doesn't take much to change the medicine in a medicine bottle."

…

Téa grabbed the basket of his morning dosage of medicine and sat it on the table. She added the required pills to a small cup for Kaiba. As she was going through them, she noticed that his pain medicine didn't look normal. Quickly, she picked up the phone and called Mokuba. "Mokuba, I think something is up. Kaiba's pain medicine looks like they were switched out with something else. I am not going to give it to Kaiba obviously, but I am going to approach Noah about it. I have a feeling he might be the one behind this. I want you to keep your eyes on the camera in his room in case something should go wrong."

Mokuba nodded and watched her pour the bad pills in the garbage. He had his security guards on standby in case something happened. She then carried the good pills up the stairs.

Téa walked in the room and sat on the bed. While she sat, she heard a strange wheezing noise coming from the bathroom. Quickly she swung open the door and gasped when she saw Noah with his fist raised in the air. She grabbed Noah by the crease of his arm, "Stop this," she screamed as she positioned herself in front of Kaiba. "Get Out!" She screamed.

Noah started to laugh, and he grabbed her by the neck, "I don't think so beautiful. It is a shame I am going to have to kill you now." He tightened his grip as he heard people running up the stairs. He pulled her in front of him and placed a gun to her head. He turned towards the bedroom and threatened, "If you shoot me, I kill her." Téa shook in fear and tears rolled down her face.

…

When Kaiba saw Noah put his hands on Téa, Kaiba was filled with rage. He took all the energy he could muster and managed to pull him in a standing position. He leaned against the wall as he approached Noah's hand with the gun. With the last ounce of energy and adrenaline he had left, he tried to reach out for the gun, but he just didn't have the strength. Kaiba's body collapsed on top of Noah and the weapon fell to the ground. Téa kicked the weapon away and let Kaiba's security guards take control.

Once they captured Noah, Téa checked on Kaiba. She took out her flashlight and checked for another concussion. She checked his vitals and let out a breath of relief. She looked at the one guard who remained in the room and asked, "Can you help me get him in bed please?"

As soon as she did, the phone in the room rang.  
"I am on my way home, how is he?" Mokuba asked hysterically.

"Calm down Mokuba, I need to check for further injuries, but as far as I can see there is nothing life threatening. Just come home, and I will let you know then." Téa said as she started to unbutton Kaiba's shirt.

She looked Kaiba in the eyes and said, "I don't know how you did what you did today Seto, but thank you."

He gave her a slight nod and closed his eyes. Téa ran her hand over what she saw was a fresh bruise. Kaiba looked up when he felt a drop of water hit his chest. Tears were rolling down her face as she looked at the fresh signs of abuse, "Oh God Seto, I am so sorry. I never should have left you alone with that man. Please forgive me."

Mokuba walked in and saw Téa crying, "What's wrong Téa? Please tell me he is going to be alright."

She nodded and said, "This was all my fault. I never should have left him alone with Noah. I should have realized it sooner. He even tried to tell me it was Noah. I just didn't realize it until now."

Mokuba gave Téa a hug and said, "This is not your fault. I promise you my Brother doesn't blame you for this. You saved him Téa."

She stood up and said, "No, he saved me." She was silent for a moment, "Mokuba, I need to gather herbs from my old apartment. Can you stay with Seto while I get what I need for the ointment?"

"Of course, Roland will go with you," Mokuba said.

Téa nodded gratefully.

…

Téa had calmed down some by the time she got back to her apartment. She unlocked the door and stepped into the door. She knew Yugi was home because he had his car in the driveway. "Yugi, I am just here to pick up my herb garden," she yelled out.

She heard what sounded like a feminine giggle and walked to the bedroom to find Yugi in bed with a blonde girl. She covered her mouth with her hands in surprise and backed out the room.

When Yugi saw her, his eyes got wide and he pushed the other girl off him, "Téa, it is not what it looks like!" He yelled as she grabbed her tiny kitchen garden from the window and stormed out the door.

…

Téa got back to the Kaiba mansion feeling completely numb. She had endured so much emotionally today, she no longer felt anything.

She ground up the herbs and gently rubbed the paste on Kaiba's injuries. Tears started to line her eyes again and she whispered, "please forgive me."

She looked up as he attempted to speak, "I…d..do"

She gave him a hug and cried into his shoulder. Mokuba knew she was struggling mentally with the events of the day. He placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Go rest Téa. I can finish up with Seto tonight." She nodded and left the room.

Mokuba looked down at his brother in the bed and let out a sigh of relief. You're safe now Seto, and so is Téa. I am going to get Téa another nurse, but I promise it will be someone trustworthy this time. He squeezed his older brother's hand and was surprised when his brother squeezed back.

…

The next morning, Mokuba went down to the kitchen and found Téa cooking breakfast. "Good Morning Téa," he greeted as he grabbed his favorite cereal. Téa still looked upset, but she was definitely in a better mood than yesterday. "Good Morning Mokuba. I am making waffles if you want some," she offered.

"Nah, I have to get going soon. I have to find you a new nurse fast," Mokuba replied.

Téa put her coffee cup down she was sipping on and said, "About that, the main reason I need a nurse is to help move Kaiba from one place to another. Kaiba is starting to regain some of his mobility, and I have a friend in LPN school who would be more than capable to help. Would you mind if I suggested someone?"

"Sure Téa, who is it?" Mokuba asked.

"Tristan," she suggested.

Mokuba smiled, "I remember him, he was the goof ball with the spiked up brown hair right?"

Téa chuckled and replied, "Yes, he has about a month left of LPN school and his exams. For what I need him for, he will work just fine."

"Okay, I will give him a call. If he accepts, I will see if he can come in today." Mokuba said as he grabbed his briefcase and left the kitchen.

…

After Téa ate, she chopped up a banana and grabbed some yogurt to bring to Kaiba.

"Good Morning Seto," she greeted. She placed the tray on his lap, "We are going to try some soft solid foods. Let me see you eat," she said as she placed the spoon in his hand.

Téa smiled as he slowly but successfully was able to lift his arm and eat on his own.

A knock at the door caught her attention, she turned around to see Yugi standing in the doorway with a dozen roses.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he thought 'What is he doing here?'

Téa turned away from Yugi and said, "Please Yugi, just leave me alone."

Yugi placed the roses on the bed next to her and said, "I'm sorry Téa, I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to what Yugi? Didn't mean to get caught? It is over Yugi," Téa snapped.

Yugi was angered by her response and said, "Come on Téa, let me explain."

"Explain what Yugi? How you were giving her a breast exam in our bedroom, or were you tutoring her in anatomy?" Téa replied.

Kaiba started to choke on his orange juice in response.

Téa sat Kaiba up further in the bed and said, "Please leave Yugi, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this." Téa replied.

Yugi straightened his jacket and angrily said, "Fine, you weren't woman enough for me anyway," before he left in a huff.

Téa no longer seemed to be able to look Kaiba in the eye. She was embarrassed. Over the time Kaiba was being treated by Téa, Kaiba started to develop a strange feeling in his chest, every time she was in the room. It was a warm, almost burning feeling. Her heartbreak over Yugi was having an effect on Kaiba, and he wasn't sure what to do about it.

"Do you want to exercise your arms now?" Téa asked through the tears. Shakily, he reached his hand to her face and used his thumb to wipe a tear away. He then said, "You…d..deserve… ."

Despite her sadness, she smiled at his moment of compassion and said, "Thank you," she then went back into doctor mode and said, "This is good progress. Come on, let's keep working on it."


	6. Chapter 6

When Mokuba got home, he found Téa sitting on the couch waiting on him.

Mokuba waved and asked, "Hey Téa, Tristan will be coming the day after tomorrow to work with Kaiba. He was visiting his mom this weekend and is taking the train back to Domino tomorrow. I hope you didn't struggle too much with him today. So, what's up?"

"Well, Kaiba is close to gaining full mobility of his hands and arms. I was thinking maybe we should get him one of those electronic wheel chairs. It will give him a little bit more freedom. Going outside might make him feel better," Téa suggested.

"That is a great idea Téa. I will have one delivered tomorrow. How about his speech and legs? Any more progress?" Mokuba asked excitedly. After the incident with Noah, he found out about how Seto stood up to try to protect Téa. He had great faith in a quick recovery and possibly a blooming relationship.

Téa frowned and explained, "Mokuba, I know that Seto stood the other day, but that was because he was fueled with adrenaline. He wasn't healed in that split second. I haven't had much progress with his lower extremities, other than getting him to wiggle his toes. That is just going to take time. His speech is coming along though." She paused for a moment to debate whether she should tell Mokuba and continued, "Yugi stopped by today and really made me upset. When he left, Kaiba told me that I deserve better.

Mokuba's eyes went wide in surprise and replied, "Seriously?"

Téa nodded and said, "I know it surprised me too. He can be sweet when he wants to be."

Mokuba stood up and said, "Well, I am going to go visit with my brother. I will see you at dinner."

"Oh, about that. I was thinking about getting some take out. Where do you and Seto like to eat? I want to get him something as a thank you." she asked.

Mokuba thought about it and suggested, "Have you ever ate at Vinny's? It is an Italian restaurant. They have excellent pasta. Seto likes Vinny's spaghetti."

…

While Téa went out to pick up the food, Mokuba went to his brother's room to do some lighthearted torment. "Well, Well, Well, big brother...I never thought I would see the day?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at his younger brother and asked, "W..what are you T…t…talking about?"

"You are starting to fall for Téa aren't you?" He lied and said, "I wanted to check up on you while I was in the office, so I checked the security camera and saw you comforting her after Yugi left."

Kaiba turned a light shade of pink and shook his head. "No, eyes w…were wet."

Mokuba's eyes got even bigger, and he said, "I knew it! I knew you had feelings for her. So, when are you going to ask her out."

"Never," Kaiba said flatly.

"Why big brother? She is pretty, smart, and kind. She is a doctor, so she's not after your money. What is stopping you?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba looked down in shame and explained, "Mokuba, I c… can't walk. Can't do an…anything. Nobody w…wants t..to be with s..someone like me."

It was at that moment that he realized his brother was battling depression. He should have suspected it. His brother was an always an independent person. This stroke took that away from him. It was then he remembered that Téa was going out to get dinner for them. Mokuba decided to give his brother a little hope and said, "I don't know about that Seto, right now Téa is out getting you a surprise for dinner."

Kaiba looked shocked, but didn't say anything. Mokuba heard the front door open and said, "That must be her now. I am going to go see if I can help her."

…

Téa was in the kitchen, cutting the spaghetti in Kaiba's plate. She thought of the rare moment of kindness Kaiba showed her today and smiled. 'He is not a bad looking guy, if only he would show that side of himself more often' she thought to herself.

Mokuba walked next to her and asked, "Téa, don't tell my brother I told you this, but he is battling depression. Do you think you could give him something to help with that."

"I anticipated this and already put him on something, but I can see about adjusting the dosage" she answered.

"That would be awesome. You're the best Téa," he shouted with a hug.

She smiled and handed him a box of food. "Don't let that get around now, I have enough adoring fans at the game shop," she joked.

…

Téa brought two plates to the room with Kaiba and said, "You have been doing so well, I decided to celebrate. Mokuba told me that you liked Vinny's spaghetti. It is a little harder to eat than most foods, but I think you can do it."

The last statement stung to Kaiba. He knew she didn't mean to hurt him, but Kaiba felt too embarrassed to eat so he said, "I'm hungry."

Kaiba noticed her expression seem to fall, "Oh, Okay. I will just put it in the refrigerator for later then." She stood up and asked, "Do you want some company or are you tired?"

Kaiba lied, "Exhausted."

"Okay then, it has been a busy day today. I will get your medicine and help you get set for bed." She handed him a piece of bread from his plate and said, "At least eat this, so you don't take your pills on an empty stomach. Kaiba nodded and she went to retrieve the medicine."

…

Téa and Roland walked into the room early the next morning. "Well Seto, your nurse can't make it until tomorrow. So, Roland is going to help me get you in the tub."

Téa walked into the bathroom to fill the tub and noticed it was the nicest bathtub she had ever scene. It was deep with jacuzzi jets. When it was full, the two helped Kaiba in the tub. Téa sat on the side of the tub, and handed him the bath sponge and soap. "See what you can do by yourself, and I will help you with everything else. She then shut the shower curtain to give him some privacy.

Although, he was hidden by the shower curtain, Kaiba felt self-conscious with her in the room. He did his best to clean as much as he could, but there was only so much he could do before he felt like he was going to collapse. "Téa, I need help," he called out.

She placed her book she was reading down and pulled back the shower curtain before sitting on the side of the tub. As she worked on cleaning him she tried to strike up a conversation, but he appeared to be ignoring her. She leaned forward to reach for the shampoo which was in a basket on the wall besides his head and said with a sigh, "Seto, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable with me helping you with tasks like this. I went to medical school for twelve years, you are not the first person I have had to bathe. Thanks to interning in the emergency room, there is nothing that surprises me anymore."

She then reached for the bottle of conditioner which was slightly further in the basket than the shampoo. 'Almost have it,' she thought as she reached as far as she could to get it. She leaned forward slightly and lost her balance. She grabbed onto the shower curtain to try to stop her fall, but all she succeeded in doing was ripping it off the rod. She screamed as she fell into the tub, directly on Kaiba's chest. Kaiba flinched slightly as her forehead hit his chin.

Mokuba and Roland were in the living room when they heard a scream and a splash, they raced into the room to see Kaiba laughing whole heartedly at Téa, who somehow got tangled in the shower curtain, desperately trying to get out the tub. She was wearing a white button-down blouse which was now see through. Téa, turned red when she realized her red lace bra was showing through the shirt. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her torso. With as much professionalism and composure she could muster she asked, "Roland, can you take over while I go change into something more presentable?"

Mokuba looked over to Kaiba who was still laughing and questioned, "Seto, you didn't pull her in the tub purposely to piss her off?"

Kaiba shook his head, "No, s. she was reaching for conditioner, and slipped," he started to laugh harder, "You s…should have seen her face."

Mokuba and Roland started to laugh as well, "Poor Téa is probably red as a beet right now," Roland commented.

When Téa returned, Kaiba was fully dressed and being helped into the new chair Mokuba got him. He looked up at her with a smile, she was wearing a navy blue t-shirt and had her hair up in a messy bun. Mokuba decided to tease her about the incident, "Now Téa I hired you to be Seto's doctor, not to play doctor with him."

Roland was the next to mess with her, "Doctor Téa, I think I threw out my back while brushing my teeth this morning, can I have the next bath."

Téa tried to play it off, but she was humiliated. She rolled her eyes and said, "Alright guys, you've had your fun. Now get back to work. I have to make breakfast."

…

Shortly after Téa left to fix breakfast, Kaiba made his way out the door with Roland. Roland noticed that Kaiba who was not known to be social by any stretch of the imagination had followed Téa into the kitchen. He smiled knowingly and decided to spy on the two from the front room.

As he rolled into the room Téa turned around to acknowledge his presence. "Hey Kaiba, she greeted, "How about you help me with breakfast. I can use it to help retrain your muscles."

He didn't acknowledge her suggestion, because he knew it wasn't really a suggestion.

She walked to the fridge, pulled out a half gallon of orange juice, and placed it on the table next to two cups. Grabbing a towel out the kitchen drawer, she sat the towel in his lap, just in case it should spill.

"Okay Kaiba, all I want you to do is pour some orange juice into these two glasses," she instructed.

He nodded and reached for the handle of the bottle, as soon as he tried to pick it up, his arm gave out and the bottle fell sideways. The top was still on the bottle, so it didn't spill. He then tried to lift it with both arms. His hands shook as he poured the juice into the glasses, but he did it.

Téa wiped up the little bit of juice that splashed out the cup and smiled. She then asked, "Would you like to eat breakfast in the garden? I have been wanting to get you out of this house for days."

Kaiba nodded and commented, "It would be good to get fresh air."

Téa beamed and grabbed a tray to carry their food out to the garden. A decorative iron table set by the fountain caught her attention and she placed their breakfast there. Kaiba followed her and was stunned to see the roses in the garden were fully in bloom. 'I must have been trapped in a room for longer than I thought,' he mentally said to himself.

As Téa sat down, she looked over to Kaiba and noticed his stress level seemed to drop. For the first time since his stroke, he seemed like a normal 27-year-old. She suggested, "This is nice. We are going to have too come out here more often." She then pulled some real estate ads Cindy had dropped off for her to read.

The sound of the flowing water coming from the fountain seemed to sooth his mind. For the first time since he was a small child, he found himself able to relax. He knew that the feeling would be short lived, because he had to get back to Kaiba Corp. He looked over to Téa who seemed to be frustrated at the homes and apartments that Cindy suggested.

His heart dropped as he realized that Téa would eventually find a suitable apartment and she would leave the mansion. Her company seemed to be having a positive effect on him and he was not ready to let her go. He had to figure out something to keep her close.

Kaiba didn't look her in the eyes but he said, "You don't want to purchase a home and end up hating it. Stay as long as you need."

Téa looked up from the paper looking both surprised and grateful, "Thanks, Kaiba."

…

That night, Kaiba saw Mokuba walk in with a large folder. Mokuba opened the folder and said, "Seto,

the 15th anniversary of your takeover of Kaiba Corp is coming up, and I should start organizing the party. I was hoping, you could show me which caterers and vendors you used in prior years."

Seto nodded and started to dig through the folder, making suggestions. Once he had finished he looked up at Mokuba and confessed, "I am not sure if I am ready to face these people yet Mokuba. For years people saw me as the ruthless Seto Kaiba. Now, with my wheelchair people are going to look at me with pity, rather than look at me as a force to be reckoned with."

"Well Seto, you are just going to have to show them that nothing has changed. You still have what it takes to be a business man. The stroke didn't take that away. Besides, Téa and I are going to be there to help you," Mokuba suggested.

Kaiba's eyes got big, he didn't even think about inviting her, but she would be necessary to have by his side that night… right?! He looked out the bedroom door at Téa, who had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie. "Did you ask her yet if she is available to help that night?"

Mokuba nodded and said, "Yes, I ordered her a dress for the event too. She didn't ask for one, but I want to make sure that her gown is formal enough. It should come the morning of the party."

"That's fine," Kaiba said before he returned to the task at hand.

...

The next day, Kaiba heard a knock on his bedroom door. He knew it wouldn't be Téa or Mokuba, so he wondered who it was. "Come in," he announced.

Kaiba was extremely confused when he saw the mutt's friend walk in the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked Tristan.

Téa walked in at that moment and said, "Good morning Kaiba. Tristan is going to be your nurse."

"And who approved of this?" Kaiba asked.

Téa looked at him mildly surprised and started to laugh, "I did. But I am glad to see that you are getting back to your normal self." As she sat next to him on the bed, she said, "I know you are not thrilled with the idea, but he is someone I know and trust. You two will get used to one another."

As Tristan helped Kaiba into the electric chair, Kaiba mumble, "Somehow, I doubt it."

Tristan expected this kind of treatment and just shrugged it off. Kaiba followed Téa to the kitchen. Mokuba was sitting in the kitchen with a woman choosing decorations for the party. As he saw Téa come in he smiled and said, "Téa, your dress came in this morning!"

"I didn't order a dress," she said with a confused look on her face.

"No, I did. It is for the party. I ordered it for you." Mokuba explained, He then turned to Tristan and said, "If you and your fiancé would like to come, we would love to have you."

Tristan looked at Kaiba, who didn't seem to care and then turned to Téa for some sign of guidance. Finally, he shrugged. "I will have to see what Serenity says. She is a bit shy."

Mokuba was taken back slightly, "Dude, you are dating Joey's sister?! How does he feel about that?"

Tristan gave a nervous smile and replied, "Well, we will be finding that out very soon, especially considering Joey is about to be an uncle."

"No way," Téa squealed as she pulled Tristan into a hug, "How far along is she? About 2 weeks. I popped

the question the day we found out. My dad wasn't there for me, and I don't want my child to suffer the

same fate. Besides, I have been thinking about asking her for months before this."

"I am so happy for you two." Téa said happily.

"So, how are things going between Yugi and you?" Tristan asked.

A pained look crossed her face before Kaiba interrupted, "Téa, why don't you go try on your dress, so we can see if it needs to be tailored."

She nodded before wandering out the kitchen. Mokuba then explained that Yugi and Téa were no longer together. "He told her that he didn't love her and that he regretted proposing to her," Mokuba explained.

Kaiba scoffed, "That's only half of it."

"You know more, big brother?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba decided to stay quiet, but in his silence, he heard Téa say, "I caught him in bed with Rebecca Hawkins."

Kaiba turned in his chair to look at Téa and saw her holding the dress over her arm. She handed the dress to Mokuba and said, "The straps need to be shortened about an inch, but other than that it looks fine."

"Rebecca Hawkins? That nerdy little twerp with the teddy bear?" Tristan asked.

Téa nodded and said, "She is a woman now…But it is fine. I have my degree and I am more than capable of handling myself. Yugi on the other hand, will fade with the popularity of dueling, which has already taken a hit since Pegasus died."

"You are starting to sound like my brother," Mokuba said jokingly.

Kaiba smirked slightly as he saw Téa smile and reply, "There is nothing wrong with that, as long as he does it within reason. Kaiba knows what he wants and does what it takes to get it. That's a lot more than Yugi can say."


	7. Chapter 7

It was the night of the party, Téa had just finished pulling on her dress. It was a light blue, off the shoulder floor length gown, with Swarovski crystals sewn into the bodice and skirt. The crystals shined as the light hit them. As she was finishing up her makeup, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Mokuba standing at the door holding two ties, "Woah, you look gorgeous Téa."

Téa blushed lightly and smiled, "Thanks Mokie, you look great too. What do you need?"

Mokuba held the ties up and said, "Big brother always did this for me, so I don't know how to tie it? I asked Tristan to tie it, but he didn't know how to either."

Téa walked over and grabbed one of the ties, "Since we are short on time tonight, I will tie this one for you. But tomorrow you are going to learn how to tie a tie. Which one is yours?" She asked.

Mokuba looked at the ties and got a wicked idea. Seto's tie was red and his was light blue like Téa's dress, he decided to switch them so Seto would match Téa. Once she finished tying the red tie, she commented "I am assuming this one is for Seto?"

Mokuba nodded and answered, "Tristan had a clip-on tie."

Téa giggled slightly before saying, "come on kid."

….

When Téa walked into Kaiba's bedroom, Tristan was helping Kaiba properly place his cufflinks. Kaiba saw Téa in mirror and goosebumps shot up his arms. She was beautiful. She smiled and walked over to him. Without a word, she knelt down before him and placed her arms around his neck.

Kaiba's heart was beating out of his chest, but he was too surprised to say anything. He looked down when he felt a hand on his chest and he realized what she was doing. Mokuba watched with an amused face. He knew his brother He looked back up at her as she finished and heard her say, "All done, you're looking sharp Kaiba. And look, we match." She then noticed the look on his face and asked, "Are you alright Kaiba?" She placed two fingers to his neck to check his vitals, "Your heart is racing," she said as she got up ready to check for other issues, when Roland stopped her.

"Trust me Ms. Gardener, Kaiba is just fine…" Roland said with an entertained face.

Kaiba then spoke up, "I am fine…I'm just… _(Come on Kaiba think.)_ nervous about my speech."

Just to be sure, Téa put her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. She smiled and asked, "After all the speeches you have given in the past, you still get nervous?"

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders uncharacteristically, "Yes. Now let's get down there, so I can get this over with." He answered with an irritated growl. He then backed his chair up and rolled out the door.

Tristan looked over to Téa who was now standing with her hands on her hips. "He is such a grump," she muttered under her breath. As Mokuba, Roland, and Téa left, Tristan grabbed his phone, "Serenity, I need your help."

As they entered the ballroom, several guests flocked towards Kaiba. Téa wasn't sure whether she was supposed to stay by his side or stand on the sidelines, so she waited for some kind of indication. For a while she stood there being bored out of her mind when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Mokuba standing there smiling, "You look bored as hell. Wanna dance?" he asked. She looked over to Kaiba to see if it was okay, and he waved her off.

As they approached the dance floor, Téa let out a breath and said, "Thank you for saving me. My god all that business talk is sooooo boring. How does he do it?"

"I don't know, but he doesn't expect you to stand next to him the whole night. He knows these parties aren't much fun. You can eat, drink, and dance as much as you want while he does the talking. We just have you here as a precaution…well, that and he wanted you here."

"Huh?" Téa asked.

"Oh come on Téa, I know that my brother isn't known for being the emotional type, but even you should be able to tell that he is crazy about you," Mokuba answered. To make a point he shifted his eyes towards his older brother to signal to her to look, "He hasn't kept his eyes off you since I pulled you away."

Téa blushed and responded, "You can't be serious, Mokuba…" she stopped talking when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to find Tristan and Serenity holding some drinks.

Téa smiled and gave Serenity a hug, "Hey girl, I am so happy that you made it. I have been wanting to tell you congratulations since Tristan told me!"

Serenity rubbed her stomach and smiled back, "I know we are excited too. I hope it is a girl." Serenity handed Téa a glass of wine and said, "You look thirsty. How about a drink?"

Téa took the glass and answered, "Just as long as your cup is water."

Serenity nodded and replied, "Of course." They clinked their glasses together and took a sip. Téa turned her head and looked over to Kaiba. He was talking to a business partner and holding a cup of what appeared to be whiskey. She excused herself and placed down her glass of wine. She smoothly walked up to Kaiba and grabbed the cup from Kaiba's hand, "Thank you Kaiba, I was dying of thirst." She then held her had out to the business man he was talking to and introduced herself, "Hi there, I am Téa."

The man looked at her in surprise and said, "Oh, I am sorry Mr. Kaiba, I didn't realize you had a date with you tonight. I won't keep you any longer."

Téa blinked in surprise, 'he didn't even return the greeting…oh well.' When the man left, Kaiba tried to get his glass back from Téa, but she moved it out of reach. "No way, not with the medicine you are on."

Kaiba nodded, "I normally wouldn't be thrilled with someone taking my drink, but since you were able to get me away from Steve… I will let it slide. For the past 20 minutes, he has been trying to set me up with his daughter."

"You're welcome," she said as she drank the whiskey and gave a sour looking expression on her face. "My god that is strong. Please don't try to sneak any more drinks tonight. I am a light weight."

Kaiba smirked and whispered, "Don't give away your weaknesses Gardener."

She shook her head and sat in a chair next to him. She was thrown off slightly when he initiated conversation, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

She nodded and replied, "Dancing is my passion. It is the one thing that can make me feel better when all hell breaks loose. So, I enjoy going to parties like this."

"Well then you won't mind dancing with me then?" she heard a familiar voice say from behind her. Kaiba's eyes narrowed and he turned his chair around to see Yugi standing there.

Téa stood up and turned around see the man who broke her heart, "What are you doing here Yugi?"

"Indeed, you weren't invited," Kaiba said.

Yugi ignored Kaiba and said, "I came to get you back Téa. Please, I love you. Come home and we will start over."

"Go home Yugi. I am working." Téa said.

"That's not what it looks like to me. It looks like you are on a date with my nemesis," Yugi accused.

"You have some nerve accusing me of being unfaithful. Now get out of here you are making a scene." Téa said back in a lowered voice.

Yugi pointed to Kaiba and said, "I won't lose her Kaiba. You should give up now, and save yourself the embarrassment," before walking away.

Téa turned around in the opposite direction and began to walk away. Kaiba followed her through the crowd and followed to the stairs

When she heard the motor of Kaiba's chair, she turned around and saw him following her. She apologized, "I'm sorry Kaiba, did you need something else before I head to bed?"

Kaiba nodded and signaled her to follow him. She followed him to the balcony and noticed it was vacant. Kaiba asked her, "Would you like to dance?"

Téa's eyes watered and she beamed in response to his request, "I would love to," she answered. Music from the ballroom played faintly in the background. Téa sat sideways in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He used the knob of his chair to spin them around.

She rested her forehead on his as she calmed down, "You have no idea how happy I am that you asked me to dance. It's the highlight of my night. Thank you, Seto."

Kaiba felt happy gazing into her eyes and having her so close to him, when a thought hit him, 'She is probably just doing this to be nice. She could never be satisfied with a man who couldn't even hold her.' He stopped spinning her and said, "You deserve better," this time referring to himself, not Yugi.

To his surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him. "Enjoy the rest of the party. Sweet dreams Kaiba." She then stood up and went to leave when she bumped into a man with a camera, "Oh, excuse me," she said as she walked past him.

Kaiba spotted the man and tried to follow him, but he got lost in the crowd.

…

The next morning, Téa walked into Kaiba's room looking slightly pale and disoriented. She yawned and said, "Good Morning Kaiba."

"Are you sick?" Kaiba asked.

She shook her head no and replied, "Nah, as I said yesterday, I am a lightweight. I can't drink a glass of wine without having a headache the next day."

She knelt down in front of him with his medicine and a cup of water. As she did that, he reached his arm out and placed it on her head to see if she was running fever. Suddenly she gasped in shock and dropped the glass of water. The cup shattered, and water went everywhere. Kaiba asked, "What's wrong?"

It took her a second to respond, "You just moved your arm completely on your own. No assistance, or coaxing." Despite the water and glass now on the floor, Téa threw her arms around his waist and rested her head on his lap. Kaiba, surprised both by the new mobility and the contact, slowly and cautiously moved his hands onto her back.

Mokuba walked in and froze when he saw the two hugging. Kaiba eventually noticed Mokuba's presence and let Téa go. When he moved, it seemed to wake Mokuba out of his moment of stupor. Mokuba had a big goofy smile on his face as he handed his brother today's newspaper. On the front cover was a picture of Téa sitting on Kaiba's lap, planting a huge kiss on his lips. Téa was too busy picking up the glass to notice until he threw the paper on the bed. When she stood up to throw away the glass, she noticed the paper and looked over to Kaiba to see what he had to say about it. When he didn't say anything she asked, "So, what does this mean?"

"It means we are going to need to get you some security guards," Kaiba answered flatly.

Téa shook her head, "I don't think it is that serious."

"Go walk out on that balcony," Kaiba instructed. She did as she was told and saw at least 30 paparazzi waiting outside the gates of the mansion. When she walked back in the room she sat on the bed and looked at the photo. As much as she wanted to, she didn't regret kissing him that night. She looked over to Kaiba who was watching her and said, "I think I will go get another cup of water, so you can take your pills."

After she left, Kaiba looked over to Mokuba who was better at reading people and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Mokuba shrugged, "I don't know. I don't think she knows what to think right now. Why don't you just tell her how you feel? She might have an easier time sorting out her feelings if she knew how you felt about her."

"No Mokuba, she is in enough danger now that people think we are dating," Kaiba replied.

"But Seto, they already think you two are dating, how much more danger could she be in if it were actually true?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba was about to answer when he heard Téa coming in with a food tray. Roland came flying past her saying, "Turn on the news, quick!"

Mokuba grabbed the remote and turned the TV on to reveal a video of Seto and Téa dancing last night. Téa placed the tray down and scratched her head, how was she going to get herself out of this problem?


	8. Chapter 8

Yugi punched a hole in the wall when he saw today's news. How could she do that to him? I mean, yes he cheated on her, but to kiss his archrival…that was low. He wasn't going to lose to Kaiba. But, the question was, how was he going to win her back?

…

Noon that same day, Téa sat on the floor of the bathroom with her head over the toilet. She still felt nauseated. She knew that the alcohol should have already passed through her body, so what gives? She dug through the medicine cabinets for nausea pills and was surprised to find a box of midol, she looked at the bottle and wondered, 'Why would these be here… unless they belong to one of the maids. That was when she had a terrifying revelation, 'I haven't had a period in at least 2 months.'

She flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and ran into the living room where Seto, Mokuba, and Roland were sitting. "Roland, I need a ride to the drug store."

Roland stood up, and Mokuba asked, "Téa what's wrong?"

Téa swallowed hard and replied, "I think I might be pregnant."

Both Seto and Mokuba's eyes got big but neither knew what to say. They watched as Roland and Téa walked out the door.

Mokuba turned to Seto after they left and asked, "What's going to happen if she is pregnant with Yugi's child."

Seto shrugged and in a pained voice replied, "That's up to her Mokuba."

…

As soon as they returned from the drugstore, Téa went into the bathroom and the guys waited in the living room for results. Several minutes later, Téa came out with tears in her eyes. Everyone in the room knew the answer. Mokuba went up and hugged her, "So, what are you going to do?"

Téa wiped her eyes and replied, "Keep it obviously. But, I just don't know how to tell Yugi. He's not supposed to be able to have kids, so in a way this is a miracle baby. But, I just can't be with him anymore, not after he slept with Rebecca."

"You're going to be okay Ms. Gardener," Roland said.

Téa nodded and replied, "Yes, I will be. But I have to talk to Yugi. Despite everything, he has a right to know." She picked up her phone and punched in his number, "Yugi, meet me at the Kaiba mansion in ten minutes…it's important. Thanks, Bye."

…

Yugi let out a cheer, Kaiba must have done something stupid and she was crawling back to him. He jumped on his bike and sped to the Kaiba mansion. As soon as he got there, he saw Kaiba and Roland sitting in the garden. He approached Kaiba's wheel chair and said, "I knew the two of you wouldn't last. Now, watch me work my magic."

Before Kaiba could retort, Yugi ran past him and into the front door. Roland stood up in order to defend his boss's honor, but Kaiba stopped him. "Forget Yugi, just watch over Téa, because this is bound to get out to the press." Roland nodded and sat back down with his boss until he heard screaming.

…

When Yugi stepped into the door, Téa looked at Mokuba and asked, "Do you mind if I speak to Yugi in Private?"

"Of course, Téa choose any room in the house," Mokuba answered.

There was only one spot that she could think of at that time, the balcony where she danced with Seto. That spot still gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling when she thought about it, and she needed this to be -as stress-free as humanly possible.

As they stepped on the balcony, she shut the door behind them and twiddled her thumbs while she thought of how she was going to tell him. She walked closer to the bench in case her knees started to wobble and said, "Yugi, I don't really know a better way to tell you this, so I am going to just be straight with you, I'm pregnant."

"Your what?" Yugi asked.

Téa's eyes started to tear up, "I'm pregnant." He stepped forward and did something completely unexpected, he smacked her across the face. "Yugi, what are you…?"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!" He yelled with tears running down his face. He pulled her up on her feet and held on to her shoulder screaming, "I HAVE WANTED A CHILD MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I WILL NEVER HAVE ONE! A…AND YOU GO AND GET KNOCKED UP BY KAIBA!"

In a panicked voice, Téa answered, "No Yugi, you don't understand." In a blind rage, he pushed her away from him. "It's yours," she screamed as she tried to catch herself, but ended up toppling over the side of the balcony to the ground below.

Roland ran in at that moment and tackled Yugi to the ground. The words It's yours rang through his head but his mind could not process what they meant.

…

Seto saw the whole scene and rolled as fast as he could to Téa's side. With very limited mobility, there wasn't much he could do other than call the police, but he stayed by her side until they got there. Emergency response loaded Téa into the ambulance, while Roland dealt with Yugi and the police. Once the police questioned them all, Roland drove Kaiba and Mokuba to the emergency room.

When the doctor came out and saw them, Mokuba frowned, this was the same doctor that was mean to Téa, "How is she?" Kaiba asked.

The doctor smiled and replied, "Now Mr. Kaiba, you know I am not at liberty to say." He lowered his voice and said, "However, I might be able to be persuaded."

Kaiba pulled out his wallet and pulled a wad of money out. He slammed the cash into the doctor's hands and said, "Now talk."

The doctor pocketed the money and said, "The girl unconscious right now, but when she wakes up, she will be in agonizing pain. She is covered from head to toe with bruises, but there does not appear to be any broken bones or fatal injuries. However, the fall caused her to miscarriage, so she will likely struggle with depression."

Kaiba looked down at his feet, 'Téa is going to be devastated.' He looked back up at the doctor and asked, "Can we see her yet?

The doctor nodded, "She is in room 327."

…

Roland was shocked when he saw his boss roll into Téa's hospital room. Seto immediately rolled next to her bed and shakily reached out to hold her hand. He leaned his head on her bed in remorse and thought to himself, 'This wouldn't have happened if I would have been with her.' He looked over to Mokuba and Roland and said, "I am going to stay with her tonight. When you are ready, you two can go home."

Mokuba stepped out of the room to grab a cup of coffee. While he sat at the table with his coffee, a familiar face sat across from him. "Serenity, what are you doing here?"

"I work here. I am a medical office assistant." Serenity explained.

"Oh, so you must be the one that convinced Tristan to study to be an LPN," Mokuba concluded.

Serenity nodded and asked, "So, what are you doing here today? I thought Kaiba was being treated by Téa."

Mokuba ordered 2 more coffees to go and signaled to her to follow. Serenity did as she was told and Mokuba paused at the door, "Brace yourself for what you are about to see." He opened the door and heard a gasp behind him. He didn't have the heart to look her in the eyes again, so he handed Roland and his brother the coffee cups and sat down across the room.

"What happened to her?" Serenity asked in complete shock.

Kaiba spun his chair around and rolled out the door without a word. Roland followed him out the hospital room.

"Where is he going?" Serenity asked.

Mokuba shrugged and replied, "Knowing my big brother, he is going to make Yugi pay for what he did to her." He then started to explain the happenings of the day.

…

Yugi was sitting in the interview room when Kaiba rolled in. "What do you want Kaiba? Have you come to gloat about how you and Téa are starting a family? Or, perhaps you're here because you don't want to be a dad, and you want me to take her back. Well, I won't do it. She is your problem now!" Yugi said.

Kaiba stopped in front of him, 'He still hasn't figured it out yet.' Kaiba looked Yugi in the eye and replied, "No, I just came to tell you that Téa lost the baby."

Yugi leaned back and replied, "Like I would want to take care of your bastard child."

Kaiba's eyes lit up in fury, "It was your child Yugi. She was 2 months along. I never slept with her."

"Yeah right, I can't have kids," Yugi responded.

Kaiba rolled away from the table and towards the door, "Believe what you want Yugi, but I also came to tell you that I won't let you get away with what you did to Téa and her child. You're different from the business men I have had to deal with on a daily basis, because you still have a conscience. As soon as you realize that I am telling you the truth about your child, you will be haunted by those actions. You see it is far crueler for me to let you live with your regret. But, I warn you, you better pray for life in prison, because when you get out, I am coming after you."

…

When Kaiba got back to the hospital, Téa was laying in the hospital bed talking to the Doctor. Despite her injuries, she looked like she was trying to be stay strong. Kaiba looked at Mokuba, "Does she know?" A tear flowed down her cheek and she nodded. Kaiba froze and looked down at his feet, trying to think of anything that could comfort her at this time, but he was drawing a blank. He finally looked back at her and admitted, "I don't know what to say other than, I'm sorry. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

She reached out her hand and whispered, "Hold me."

He silently cursed his legs. More than anything he wanted to stand up, pull out of bed, and her in his arms. But, all he could manage to do was hold her hand. He then realized what he was thinking and cursed himself for becoming soft. Despite his years of trying to avoid the geek squad, he was slowly falling for one of them.


	9. Chapter 9

When Téa came back home to the mansion, she wasn't the same. Although she tended to her normal duties with Kaiba. But, she became quiet, jumpy, and depressed. Kaiba watched Mokuba try to cheer her up several times with movies, dessert, and random memes off the internet. But, Kaiba knew that only time would help Téa.

Kaiba had gained **most** of mobility in his arms. He was now able to return to work at Kaiba Corp. Téa was helping him get dressed that morning since Tristan had caught a bad cold. While she was getting his briefcase packed, she noticed Kaiba kept reaching towards his neck for something. She shut the briefcase and asked, "Is there something wrong Kaiba?"

Kaiba nodded and said, "I think there is a tag on my shirt, but I can't quite reach."

Téa walked around behind him checked. "There sure is," she commented. When she couldn't pull it off with her hands, she used her teeth to snip the tag off. When she did, she failed to notice that a little of her lipstick rubbed off onto his neck and shirt. She tossed the tag in the can and asked, "Better?"

Kaiba nodded and started to leave the room. Téa picked up the briefcase and followed him to the car.

…

For the most part, while Kaiba was working in the office she was free to do whatever she wanted. She was mainly there because Mokuba insisted upon having someone there 24/7 and Kaiba was too lazy to hire a personal assistant. Either way, Téa didn't care because she was getting paid the same. Kaiba rolled from behind his desk and she followed him down the hall to a meeting room. Téa sat next to him and the board members quickly started to file in the room.

Mokuba stepped in and sat next to Téa with a smile on his face. He leaned towards his older brother and whispered to where only the three of them could hear, "Do you guys want to go out to eat for lunch after this meeting?"

Kaiba nodded in approval and shortly afterwards the meeting began. He rolled in front with a projector showing the current stock market numbers. "This quarter, we have seen a drastic rise in the sales of the three-dimensional dual disk projectors. If these numbers continue to rise as steadily as they have been in the past quarter, I would like to restart trying to develop alternative reality programing." He turned his chair slightly to look at the screen and went to the next picture.

As he turned towards the screen, Téa gasped slightly in surprise when she saw a lipstick stain on the back of his collar. Mokuba heard her reaction and started to look around to see what was wrong. When he saw the stain, he started snickering in his seat. Kaiba heard the two and shot them a glare before continuing the meeting.

Slowly but surely throughout the meeting, more and more board members started snickering. Finally, Kaiba had enough and shut off the screen. The lights came back on and he asked, "Would any of you like to tell me what's so funny?"

With exception of Mokuba, who was dying laughing at this point, the entire room was silent. Kaiba turned to his younger brother and asked, "Mokuba would you care to enlighten me?"

Mokuba couldn't stop laughing long enough to give a full answer so he just said, "ahahahahahaha ask…..ahhahahahaha…Téa."

Téa glared at Mokuba and mumbled, "Traitor." Téa straightened up in her seat and said, "Kaiba, it would probably be better if we talked about this outside the meeting."

Kaiba was too pissed to be bothered with this meeting anymore, no one as listening to a word he was saying anyway. So, he said, "Meeting adjourned. We will meet again on Thursday."

After the board members fled the room, Mokuba asked, "So big brother, I am guessing physical therapy was great this morning!"

"Don't be obnoxious Mokuba, this isn't funny." Téa said with an embarrassed look on her face. She grabbed a tissue from a box and walked behind Kaiba to remove the stain.

"What are you doing Gardener?" Kaiba asked.

Instead of answering she just mumbled, "I need some water to get this out."

Kaiba said slightly louder, "Gardener! What are you doing?"

She flinched when he raised his voice and replied, "Well… There is a lipstick stain on you, and it's my shade of pink… It must have happened when I was removing that sales tag this morning."

Kaiba realized what happened and wasn't sure whether to be irritated or amused.

When Téa finished, she went to grab her purse and said, "Enjoy your lunch boys."

Before she could set her hand on the bag, Kaiba grabbed her wrist. She looked up at him and he asked, "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

She smiled shyly but didn't answer. Knowing that she felt embarrassed, Kaiba didn't wait for an answer. Instead he said, "Let's get going." Once Kaiba let go of her, she grabbed her wrist to preserve the warmth.

…

Kaiba took them to a restaurant in downtown Tokyo. The restaurant had tables outdoors, with a koi pond in the center. Kaiba picked a table in the corner, away from the koi pond. The waiter handed out three menus. Kaiba being a creature of habit, never opened his menu. He already knew his order, so he watched Téa out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that she was still suffering from the miscarriage.

The waiter passed the table and poured two glasses of wine. Téa took the first glass of wine back like a shot. Kaiba was mildly surprised by her action but didn't comment on it. Especially when her glass was refilled and was hardly touched.

When she sat her menu down Kaiba looked at her lips ,and thought about the trouble she unintentionally caused in the boardroom. He smirked and looked her straight into the eyes before saying, "Apparently, your mouth gets you in trouble in more ways than one."

Téa looked back down at the menu to hide her embarrassment. Kaiba reached out and grabbed her hand, she looked up at him and he was wearing a foreign but beautiful smile. Her breath caught in her throat and she realized what she has been spending months trying to repress, 'Oh my god, I am falling in love with Seto Kaiba.'

The waiter interrupted their moment and took their orders. The waiter also handed Mokuba a cup of food for the fish. Mokuba smiled broadly and asked, "Oh please big brother, can I go feed the fish."

Kaiba nodded and Mokuba ran towards the pond.

Téa straightened up in her seat when Mokuba left. She decided to tell Kaiba what was on her mind, "Kaiba, I found a place nearby, and I will be moving out next week."

Kaiba was surprised, but his face didn't show it, he asked, "Are you still going to work for me?"

Téa nodded, "Of course, I will. After all the work I put in to get you mobile again, I am not going to stop half way. I just need to start making a place where I can call home."

Kaiba nodded and was silent afterwards. Mokuba returned to the table and got nervous the moment he saw the two. "Hey, what is going on?"

Kaiba kept silent, but Téa answered him, "I am moving out next week."

The alarms went off in Mokuba's head, "What?! Why are you leaving? My brother still needs you around the house."

"Mokuba, that's enough," Kaiba said firmly.

"I found a house a few blocks down that looks nice. I placed a bid on it, and the buyers accepted it. As soon as the paperwork goes through, it will be mine."

With that, Mokuba excused himself from the table. He was going to call his real-estate agent and have her make an offer on the house before the paperwork went through. As if Kaiba could read his mind, he reached out for the phone in Mokuba's hand and said, "sit." Mokuba gave his brother a confused look but nodded and sat back down. The food then came to the table and they had a nice but silent lunch.

…

After Téa and Tristan helped Kaiba in the bed, Mokuba knocked on his brother's door. He stepped in and saw his brother already waiting, as if he already knew he was coming. Mokuba shut the door and asked him the question he has been dying to know, "Why are you just letting her go like this Seto?"

"Téa is grieving Mokuba. If she wants to start a new life for herself, who am I to stop her? Besides, it is not like she is leaving forever, she works here," Seto explained.

Téa was passing by when she heard Kaiba say her name, curiosity got the best of her and she stopped outside the door to listen.

"But Seto, she is good for you, she makes you happy," Mokuba argued.

Kaiba smiled sadly and replied, "I care deeply for her Mokuba, but she deserves better than me. By buying a new home, she is giving herself a second chance at happiness. Téa could never be happy with a man like me."

Téa's heart stopped when she heard this, 'He feels just as insecure as I do,' she thought to herself. Before she could stop herself, she walked into his room and asked, "Who says?"

Both of them stared at each other not knowing what to say. Mokuba took this as his cue to leave. Téa looked down at her feet and slowly approached Seto, who was sitting up in the bed. She sat next to him and asked, "Seto, do you have feelings for me?"

Kaiba noticed that she said his first name for once and could no longer resist his desire to be with her. Instead of answering her, he raised her head to get her to look him in the eyes. He then leaned forward to kiss her. She met him half way and gently pushed him back down on the bed. Téa momentarily felt all the pain and fear in her heart vanish. All she could focus on was the feeling of his lips against hers. She felt his hands on her waist, so she took a breath and asked, "Shall I lock the door?" Kaiba nodded.

LEMON….

She walked over to the door to shut it and lock it. She then walked over to the bed and climbed on top of him. Before she could kiss him again, and make him completely lose touch of reality, Kaiba asked, "Why would you want to be in a relationship with me? Do you understand all the things I want to do to you right now that I can't?"

Téa sat up, still sitting on top of him, and asked, "Kaiba, do you remember what the vows are in most wedding ceremonies say?"

"for richer, for poorer?" he asked.

Téa rolled her eyes and said, "Well, yes…but, that wasn't the part I was referring to." She then explained, "The promises made to each other are for better or worse, for richer or poorer, **in sickness and in health** … I don't date someone unless I am certain that I could keep that promise." She then asked, "Do you feel the same about me?"

Kaiba whispered, "I would follow you to hell and back if you asked me." Téa thought about his answer and said, "Fuck it. You never were good with words." She then pressed her lips against his and started to unbutton her shirt. Kaiba's eyes got wide as her shirt started to slip away from her shoulders showing a beautiful red lace bra that he recognized from when she fell in the tub with him several months ago. She then helped him shift to a seated position and allowed him to run his hands along his body.

She was hypnotized by his gentle touch. He slowly became braver and slipped thumbs beneath the underwire of her bra to touch the delicate skin underneath. Téa took this as a signal that he was ready to continue. She pulled his shirt over his head and admired his build, she ran her hands down his chest and landed at his belt buckle.

She would have removed the belt if he wouldn't have shoved his whole hand in her bra and started to gently rub her tip. She let go of the belt momentarily to unclasp her bra. Kaiba let go of her at that moment to take her in. He whispered to her, "My god you're beautiful." Téa gave him a quick kiss before returning to the problem at hand. She unbuckled his belt and threw it across the room. As she unzipped his pants, it was clear that he was already turned on. She pulled his pants off him and grasped his manhood with his boxers as his only protection. He leaned his head back in pure ecstasy. She was about to pull his boxers down as well, but he grabbed her wrist and said, "you first."

Téa's was shocked, no one that she had ever been with in the past bothered to put her needs before their own.

He then slipped his hands up her skirt and started to stroke her mound. She leaned into him and moaned as he teased her. "Get closer and lose the skirt," he commanded. She pulled the skirt over her head and gave him a view of lacy black panties.

Kaiba gulped hard, she was just too much for him to handle. He reached up and pulled down the final garment that was offending his view. He kissed her hairless sex and used his tongue to show his appreciation. Téa could barely take it. She was about to rip his boxers straight from his body when he slipped one of his fingers inside as he continued to work his tongue on her. She screamed his name into his shoulder.

Kaiba smiled and asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Téa whispered, "yes," into his ear, before allowing herself to remove the final piece of clothes separating them. As she did, she smiled when she saw just how much he was holding back for her. She placed one of her knees between his and was shocked to see his leg move to give her more room. She stopped what she was doing and said, "Seto, you moved."

He blinked in shocked and tried to do it again but frowned when he couldn't move that leg again. When she saw his pained face, she grabbed his face in her hands, "It doesn't matter, we can still finish things." She grabbed his tip and lowered her body down on it. Shortly afterwards, they both had completed the act.

END LEMON….

Kaiba woke up the next morning with his arms wrapped around something warm. He opened his eyes to see Téa sleeping comfortably in his arms. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and tried to figure out how he got so lucky. There was a knock on the door that pulled him out of his daze. "Come back later!" he yelled at the door.

"You don't have to tell me twice," he heard his younger brother say before he ran downstairs.

Téa woke up from the commotion and got up to get dressed. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Better than I have in years," he replied as he watched her get dressed. She helped him back into his night clothes as well before saying, "I'm going take a shower. Is there anything special you want for breakfast?"

Kaiba shook his head no and watched her leave. He laid back in the bed, feeling more relaxed than he ever had.

…


	10. Chapter 10

After lunch that day, Téa was sitting with Seto in the garden. She sat in a chair across from him helping him with his leg exercises. Neither knew what to say to each other after their night together. Finally, Seto asked the last question that was on his mind, "So… does it look like I might be regaining mobility of my legs soon?"

Téa looked up at him and answered honestly, "I don't know. It is possible that you are fully going to gain mobility in your legs. But, it is also possible that the slight movement you made last night was adrenaline or simply a twitch."

Seto frowned and asked, "Is there anything else I can do to speed this along?"

Téa shook her head and replied, "Not much, we can try aquatic therapy, virtual reality or, arranging a psychologist to talk with you, incase you have a mental block preventing you from walking."

"A mental block, what the hell is that? I don't want to talk to a psychologist. We have a pool, so let's try the virtual reality and water thing," Seto said.

Téa then explained, "What I meant by a mental block is, sometimes people are afraid to do activities that they used to do, because of fear of injury, failure, or simply change."

Kaiba looked at Téa and realized that there was something he was afraid of, he was afraid of losing her. Once he got his legs back, her services would no longer be needed. He shook his head and told himself this is nonsense. "When can you get the other two options set up?" he asked.

"Well, you already have some virtual reality technology here, so we could work on that as soon as tonight. The pool thing will probably be a couple of days, so we can get equipment set up in the pool." She answered.

…

Téa walked into the room with the virtual reality equipment and checked on Tristan who was setting up the suspension equipment. The equipment was completely set up and he was testing whether it could hold his weight. "Great job, Tristan." She said as she admired his work.

Tristan scratched his head and replied, "Thanks… Téa, why are you going through all this trouble anyway? I mean, I know you are his doctor and everything, but aren't you going to the extremes?"

"Not at all, I am just trying all my options, that's all." Téa replied.

Tristan nodded and said, "Okay, I just don't want to see you get hurt, if he never recovers. It is obvious that the two of you are developing some kind of relationship. And I just want to make sure you realize that he might not ever go back to being normal. "

Téa nodded and answered, "Tristan, I won't lie to you. I feel a deep connection to Seto and I realize that he may never walk again. But, I still want to be there for him, no matter what happens."

"Even if he never regains use of his legs? What about Yugi? Don't you think he will be hurt by this?" Tristan asked.

His question felt like a smack across the face, "There is more to a man than his legs, Tristan. Now mind your own damn business," Téa said angrily. She knew that he didn't know about the baby, which is the only reason she didn't chew his head off.

…

When Téa walked in, Seto sensed there was something wrong. "The virtual reality software is ready, let's get you set up."

Kaiba grabbed her by the wrist and said, "Let's start tomorrow. Would you come with me to the new park? I would like to see how the construction is going."

Téa nodded and grabbed her purse. She followed him out the door and down the block. While she walked she finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Seto, are we dating now?"

Kaiba spun around in his chair to face her and replied, "I don't know. I want to say yes, but that depends on how you feel about it. Do you think you can handle being with a person like me?"

Téa smiled and said, "Nothing would make me happier than be with you Seto." She leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek and said, "Let's go, we are almost there."

They arrived to the construction site and found workers setting up a seesaw. Sat on a nearby bench that had already been installed and looked around. Seto rolled next to her and noticed the swing sets and slides already put together. It would be a matter of days before the park would be open to the public. Téa leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "I feel so safe when I'm with you."

Kaiba looked at her puzzled, and she continued, "The sale of the house went through, and I can move in any day now…"

Kaiba looked down and finally voiced his thoughts, "I wish you wouldn't." Téa looked up at him confused and he continued, "I'm concerned about you. Ever since you lost the baby, you're constantly depressed and I think solitude is only going to worsen that feeling… Besides, the mansion is a lot livelier since you moved in."

"So, you don't want me to leave?" Téa asked shocked. She thought she was a pain to have around. Kaiba shook his head no, and she continued, "Then I will stay with you, but I still want to set my own home up. Would you like to pass by it when we on the way back home? It's right down the road here."

Kaiba nodded, and they sat there for about twenty more minutes, just watching the construction workers do their job. When they finally left, they went down the road, passing a number of magnificent houses, many of them were raised homes, with large porches. Téa stopped at a light blue one story home with white window panels. She walked to the front door and opened it for him to roll in. There it was a open design, with the living room right across from the kitchen, to the left there were a few doors which Kaiba assumed were bedrooms, and to the right a large fireplace, and two more doors which lead to a bathroom and what he suspected to be a closet. Kaiba smiled, and complimented, "It's beautiful. Have you arranged for your furniture to be moved yet?"

Téa shook her head and explained, "Nah, most of the furniture we had was from Yugi's grandpa. So, I ordered a few pieces. They should be coming in a few days. I am actually excited to be able to do my home the way I want it."

Téa pointed towards the kitchen and said, "I'm going to put a the table over here." She then pointed over to the living room and said, there is going to be a sofa right there with a side table and maybe a lamp. I am going to put the tv in the entertainment center across from it. That should leave plenty of room for you to move around when you visit." She then walked to the bedroom.

Kaiba's eyes became wide as he heard her plans, 'She is planning her home, but she is still thinking about me,' he thought to himself.

"Seto, are you coming?" Téa yelled from the back.

Kaiba rolled to the next room and found Téa sitting on a brand new mattress and box spring sitting on the floor. "I haven't found a bedroom set I like yet she explained. But, when I do I am going to put the dresser against that wall over there and a chest of drawers right there." She then blushed and thought, 'And maybe if we work out, we'll make a few memories in here as well.'

"Why don't you pick out a bedroom set, and I will pay for it. Consider it a housewarming present." Seto suggested.

Téa shook her head and replied, "No thanks Seto. I would like to get that on my own… But, if you want to get a lift installed so you can join me in this bed. I wouldn't mind that."

Seto nodded with a smirk. He liked her way of thinking.

With that, they headed back to the mansion, both of them thinking about the future.

…


End file.
